On October 11, 2024, Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego and Republican candidate Kari Lake engaged in a heated debate in the only Arizona Senate race debate held on Wednesday, October 9. They attacked each other on various issues, making it difficult to determine a clear winner.
The debate was jointly organized by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission of Arizona and the Media Association of Arizona.
Gallego and Lake are competing for the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema. During the debate, the two candidates expressed their views on key issues such as immigration, border security, economy, inflation, and abortion.
With less than a month until the election day, the outcome of this race will significantly impact the control of the White House and the Senate.
According to the survey summary conducted by Decision Desk HQ in Arizona, former President Trump currently holds a 49% approval rating, while Vice President Harris stands at 48%. In the Arizona Senate race, Gallego leads Lake with 50% to 42%.
In his opening statement, Gallego mentioned his service in Iraq, emphasizing how war transcended party lines for him, stating, “In war, there are no Democrats, no Republicans—just young men and women trying to make it through a day and become better Americans.”
Lake criticized Gallego in her opening remarks, claiming that he is actually a member of the Progressive Caucus and has failed his district over the past 10 years, leading to an increase in homelessness.
Gallego accused Lake of failing the basic honesty test, lying to the people of Arizona by claiming to still be the legitimate governor of Arizona.
Lake, a former Republican candidate in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election supported by former President Trump, raised allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, accusing her opponent, then Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, of involvement in election-related crimes. Lake ultimately lost to the Democratic candidate Hobbs in the 2022 gubernatorial election but has not yet conceded defeat.
Regarding border and immigration issues, Lake criticized Gallego for calling Trump’s border wall “completely foolish” in 2017, arguing that Gallego’s stance aligns with President Biden and Vice President Harris’s policies.
She expressed support for Trump, saying, “We need someone who understands the border threat, and I understand, President Trump understands, that from day one, we have to undo the damage caused by Harris, Joe Biden, and Ruben Gallego, and Ruben Gallego is 100% aligned with them.”
Gallego tried to position himself as a problem solver, highlighting his ongoing efforts in Congress to address border and immigration issues while criticizing Lake for opposing bipartisan border bills.
During the debate, he repeatedly pressed Lake on whether she supported deporting Dreamers, those who illegally entered the U.S. as children and have been residing in the country.
Lake firmly stated, “No,” highlighting that “President Trump wanted to make a deal on Dreamers, but you refused. Unfortunately, radical Democrats, like my opponent, prefer to treat people as political pawns.”
She said, “I want to ensure border security.”
Regarding Gallego’s bipartisan political stance, Lake emphasized, “He supports Harris and Joe Biden 100%, yet wants to appear as a bipartisan, he was a leader of the Progressive Caucus.”
In this Senate race, Gallego has adopted a more moderate political position, having previously identified as a progressive and being a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The Democratic Arizona congressman explained in an interview with NBC News in April that he let his membership in the caucus expire because they “significantly increased their dues, and I had to cut my staff, so, you know, we had to make a decision.”
During the debate, Gallego tried to avoid discussing the two-party presidential candidates and focused more on emphasizing his experience in Congress.
Gallego also criticized Lake’s previous statements on abortion issues, noting her praise for a 1864 law that allowed the imprisonment of doctors who performed abortions, which was later repealed.
He questioned, “Do we want politicians like Kari Lake involved in these very difficult decisions that should be made by women, doctors, and families?”
Lake insisted that the abortion rights should be decided by states and stated she does not support federal legislation restricting abortion rights.
She further emphasized the impact of current societal issues on women’s choices regarding abortion, arguing that women opt for abortion because they cannot afford the economic burden of raising children.
She said, “I do not want any woman to make that choice because, due to the votes cast by people like Ruben Gallego, our economy is on the verge of collapse, our economy now only survives by living, so I want to enter the federal Senate and pass legislation that is most favorable to families.”
Overall, Wednesday night’s event was possibly the final opportunity for Lake and Gallego to reach out to voters, with less than 30 days left until the election day. Early voting in Arizona began on the same day.
(Reference from The Hill)